


Crash and Burn

by cybergoth



Series: Competition short fics [1]
Category: Compilation of Final Fantasy VII
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-11-22
Updated: 2012-11-22
Packaged: 2017-11-19 06:26:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,475
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/570203
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cybergoth/pseuds/cybergoth
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Reno muses on how he got to be lying in this bed...</p>
            </blockquote>





	Crash and Burn

Reno slowly breathed out cigarette smoke as he lay on his back looking out of the window. He could hear the shower running from here, and considering how big this bedroom was, the adjoining bathroom too, that was a testament to his good hearing. He was trying to take it in that he was here at all; lying naked on silken sheets, with just enough fabric draped across his hips to preserve his modesty. Not that he cared about that, but his lover had covered him up and at the time he was far too worn out to care about moving. But he was recovering quickly in a physical sense, though his mind was completely confused. Just how had he gotten here?

He was nothing, a street rat, he wasn’t supposed to find himself lying in bed in luxurious penthouses. But here he was. Dragged into service for ShinRa after managing to not only hold his own when he had mistakenly gotten into a fight with two Turks, but leaving the two with a broken nose, three black eyes, four fractured ribs and a truckload of bruises between them. He had fared less well by the time they were done with him, but then Tseng had walked in, took one look at his battered Turks, one look at the bloody but still breathing heap with red hair that Reno was, and had seen the potential. He’d been scraped off the concrete, taken to a ShinRa medical centre, patched up, then immediately shoved into the blue suit. 

It had all happened so fast he’d had no idea what had hit him. He’d been sixteen, been fighting to survive for the last two years, and had walked in on the wrong thing at the wrong time. He had a bad habit of doing that. The beating he got was old hat, but the medical treatment, the roof over his head and the wage packet? That had utterly confused him. Tseng would question his decision to drag the teen off the streets when he couldn’t dress smart, was insubordinate, slovenly, rude, irreverent, but every time he sent Reno on a mission he was paid back for that trust. It was never said between the two, but Reno wanted to give Tseng a reason for his faith in him, and to put up with him. So he excelled at his job, even if the amount of paperwork the Turk leader had to put up with in complaints against Reno was liable to make him turn grey. That was six years ago, surely the man was dying his hair by now to keep that slick ebony perfect.

Then six months ago Rufus ShinRa had walked into his life. Sure he had been aware of the older man, he worked for ShinRa didn’t he? But they had never met as such, Reno having actually been kept away from him. Rufus had this habit of having people fired that annoyed him and everyone had assumed that Reno, with his problem with authority figures and general attitude, would immediately rub Rufus up the wrong way. Tseng had no desire to lose one of his… most effective employees and thus kept the two apart. Six months ago though the situation arose where no-one else had been available and President ShinRa needed someone to pilot his son to Junon. Reno was the only Turk available trained to pilot a helicopter and it was only a Turk the President would accept.

Three hours they were to be alone together, just the two of them; there would be others awaiting Rufus at the other end. Reno had been told in no uncertain terms to smarten up, shut up and just get on with it. Uncomfortably he had done as he was told, well aware of Rufus’ reputation and had no desire to be jobless. All would have been well except for the assassination attempt that happened an hour into the flight. All things considered he thought he had done quite well to crash only slightly into the forests surrounding Gongaga, the both of them mildly scratched and bruised, though the helicopter exploded spectacularly once they were out of it. And that left the two of them in the middle of the forest, with only the emergency gear they had managed to salvage from the wreckage before the explosion.

He had hardly dared say a word other than completely necessary over the next 24 hours. They travelled south toward where they knew civilisation lay, but neither knew how long it would take them. They made camp when it got dark, hunted for food, cooked and took turns keeping watch. By day two both were feeling frazzled. It was hot, humid, insects were eating them alive and a number of monsters tried to do the same. Rufus missed his pampered comforts, Reno his takeout, and Reno was struggling not to piss off Rufus. True his job was to keep the man alive, but his constant whinging about comforts they wouldn’t find out here was making him consider letting something eat him and walking out of the forest alone. 

Coming across the broad stream had been a boon to them both. They could cool off physically, and it helped both of their tempers to be more comfortable. Though as they sat in the water, both naked as the day they were born, all indications of rank and privilege stripped away, Reno decided he’d had enough of being silent and stiff. He told a joke of all things at that point, a rather rude one that offended most people he had ever told it to, so why the hell he had chosen that one to tell of all jokes even he didn’t know. He had put it down to the heat at the time. And going by the look on the blonde’s face he thought he could say ‘hello’ to life in the slums again. Then all at once the cool façade had cracked and Rufus had fallen about laughing, so hard that he was in tears by the end. 

And that had been the beginning of it. Stepping out of the jungle, a little battered, a little bruised, looking like castaways three days later, grinning like lunatics and now firm friends much to Tseng’s horror. Of course upon returning to work they couldn’t laugh and joke in the office, not with the President around, like a bloodhound, sniffing around anyone seen near his precious son. So considering they liked each other’s company, Rufus would not be denied anything and Reno loved to break the rules - that had led to secretly meeting up at nights. That had led to drinking sessions and boy were they drinking sessions. Rufus had access to the good stuff, and they often passed out. And man the hangovers come morning... But Rufus was master of the hangover cure so they dealt with that alright. 

But then one night, more than a little drunk, Rufus had confessed how he found the redhead attractive. After a couple of tense moments, he had gotten up from his seat, crossed to the blonde, and said that he didn’t mind, and actually he thought Rufus was a pretty nice piece of ass himself. The moment was sealed with their first kiss, more tender than anyone could imagine, a golden moment both treasured. 

The sound of footsteps brought him from his musing, and he took a deep drag of his cigarette as his lover sat on the bed beside him. 

“What are you thinking?” 

Even with such an innocent question the commanding tone remained in his voice.

“About this, us, how we got here yo’.”

Rufus chuckled.

“That damn unexpected trip into the jungle.”

“Hell yeah, first time I got to see that ass.” Reno grinned. 

Rufus shook his head.

“You know, I think Tseng spends hours trying to work out what I see in you.”

Reno laughed, a true laugh, something Rufus treasured because they were so rare. He couldn’t resist running a hand over Reno’s stomach, the redhead sighing softly in contentment, green eyes closing lazily.

“Bet he damn near breaks his brain trying to figure it out. Ever going to tell him?”

Tseng did know what was going on, of course he did, he was the one that ran interference for them, kept their secret safe. It was either that or Reno would be found dead in pieces somewhere. He couldn’t handle both losing one of his best Turks and an inconsolable Rufus ShinRa. Well, not at the same time at least. 

“No.”

“Are you gonna tell me yo’?”

“No.”

Reno just grinned and willingly partook of the hungry kiss Rufus wanted from him. In the end the how and why didn’t matter. Life was too short and he would live each day as if it was his last.


End file.
